POLITTICO GRIFFONI CHAPEL OF SAINT VINCENT FERRER

Transcription

1 POLITTICO GRIFFONI CHAPEL OF SAINT VINCENT FERRER SAN PETRONIO BASILICA, BOLOGNA 2013

2 Saint Vincent Ferrer Francesco del Cossa National Gallery London Permission approved: scanning taking place on Aug Saint Peter Francesco del Cossa Pinacoteca di Brera Milano Permission approved: scanning taking place by the end of Saint John the Baptist Francesco del Cossa Pinacoteca di Brera Milano Permission approved: scanning taking place by the end of Saint Florian Francesco del Cossa National Gallery of Art Washington Proposal for scanning in present document 05 Saint Lucia Francesco del Cossa National Gallery of Art Washington Proposal for scanning in present document 06 Crucifixion Francesco del Cossa National Gallery of Art Washington Proposal for scanning in present document 07 Announcing Angel Francesco del Cossa Collezione Cagnola Gazzada Already scanned; permission to make one copy approved 08 Announciation Virgin Francesco del Cossa Collezione Cagnola Gazzada Already scanned; permission to make one copy approved 09 Stories of S. Vincent Ercole de Roberti Pinacoteca Vaticana Roma Permission approved: scanning taking place in Sept-Oct Saint Petronio Ercole de Roberti Pinacoteca Nazionale Ferrara Permission approved: scanning taking place by the end of Saint Apollonia Ercole de Roberti Musée du Louvre Paris Proposal for scanning in preparation 12 Saint Michael Archangel Ercole de Roberti Musée du Louvre Paris Proposal for scanning in preparation 13 Saint Anthony the Abbot Ercole de Roberti Mus. Boyman-Beuningen Rotterdam Proposal for scanning in preparation 14 Saint Jerome Ercole de Roberti Collezione Vittorio Cini Venice Already scanned; permission to make one copy approved 15 Saint George Ercole de Roberti Collezione Vittorio Cini Venice Already scanned; permission to make one copy approved 16 Saint Catherine Ercole de Roberti Collezione Vittorio Cini Venice Already scanned; permission to make one copy approved

3 Plate I: Polittico Griffoni: One of the suggested reconstructions NB. All measurements are in millimetres.

4 DESCRIPTION OF THE TECHNOLOGY INVOLVED IN THE SCANNING PROCESS LUCIDA SCANNER FACTUM ARTE

5 Summary of the 3D Scanning Process 3D Recording. Lucida 3D Scanner employs non-contact technology to record the surface of paintings at a resolution of 10,000 points per square centimeter. Lucida is a triangulation 3D laser scanner that uses laser light to capture the information. A laser beam, which is 100% safe for the painting, is projected onto the surface of the object. The distortions of the beam caused by the relief are recorded by two video cameras. The data collected by Lucida can then be used to construct a digital 3D model of the surface. Lucida records the surface of the panel in sections (tiles) of 48x48 cm. The scanner is placed in front of the painting at an approximate distance of 8-10 cm to its surface. The frame has to be removed, as well as the protecting glass if there is any. The panel should be mounted on an easel, with its plane positioned vertical. It is not necessary to have complete darkness in the room, but low ambience light is recommended; preferrably constant. Museum photography quality lighting is required, can be provided by Factum Arte on request of the pertinent Museum or Gallery. If possible, the work will be carried out in a closed room with no public access, in order to avoid undesired vibrations produced by steps. The system can be operated by one person. Apart from a connection to mains to plug a laptop computer, no other special requirements are needed for the work. Above: Lucida 3D Scanner - Scanner Head

6 Lucida is a laser 3D scanning system custom built by Factum Arte; it is the result of more than ten years of investigation into the high-resolution recording of the surface of paintings and relief objects. Lucida can record three-dimensional information obtained from the surface of paintings and bas-reliefs at a resolution of 100 µm (0.1 mm). It is a totally non-contact scanning process and the scanning head is never positioned less than 8cms from the surface. Other 3D-recording systems have severe difficulties when it comes to recording surface data with high levels of contrast or highly reflective surfaces. The fact that most commercially available 3D scanners produce noisy data from reflective and dark surfaces has in the past meant that, when recording the subtle surface information on a painting, the relationship between noise and information rendered the data meaningless. Lucida has a special double exposure feature and in practical applications has demonstrated that it can record extremely accurate high-resolution data. An additional feature that makes Lucida unique is that its software is not only capable of generating 3D data, but it also stores the data in the form of raw tonal video. This approach means that in the future the data could be reprocessed at higher resolution.this is a radical innovation that significantly distances Lucida from other commercial scanning systems. Lucida also uses the raw files to generate 3D files and rendered simulations of the surface relief. It is by virtue of the latter that the recorded data can be accessed without specialised 3D software: it can be easily opened with standard image viewers such as Adobe Photoshop. Moreover, it can be incorporated into multilayerd files that include additional details such as infra-red, X-ray or colour information. Further information about Lucida can be accessed via the website: Above: Lucida s hardware kit Opposite: an image obtained from Lucida s software interface

7 In order to obtain high-resolution colour information, Factum Arte uses a panoramic photography system installed onto a Dr. Clauss robotic head. Clauss is a German company whose expertise in panoramic photography equipment dates back from 1993, when they developed the first electronic panoramic camera in the world. It was in 2003 when Clauss designed the first panand-tilt head that is used nowadays by Factum Arte and other specialists in the field. Since then, this system has been enhanced by Factum s specific brief and equipment needs, which have lead Clauss to find a way to overcome inherent problems of cultural heritage recording. Automated panoramic photography equipment consists of a motorised panoramic head and a computer that controls the former; as well as a recording device - the camera - and the archiving software that enables downloading and naming the resulting photographs. The main specification that Factum Arte pushed for was to separate the flash unit working in tandem with the photographic equipment. The regular setup is mounting the flash unit with the panoramic head. The problem this posed for Factum was that the flash beam and the camera operate in line with the lens axis, an arrangement that produces an extremely destructive hotspot when the lens axis is perpendicular to the surface of the painting and the flash is directly reflected back into the lens. The post-processing required to repair this problem is laborious and can never recreate colour or other information that was lost in the recording. By separating the recording equipment from the lighting equipment, Factum were able to achieve results of remarkable quality, yet this implied the need for a second panoramic head. Bespoke software was also required in order to build a link between the two panoramic heads. Further information about Factum Arte s panoramic photography system can be accessed can be accessed via the website: Above: Factum Arte recording at the Sala Bologna

8 DATA FROM POLITTICO GRIFFONI ALREADY RECORDED FACTUM ARTE

9 Above: Announcing Angel and Virgin of the Announciation. Opposite: laser surface recording of Announcing Angel and Virgin of the Announciation. Photos by Greg Dupond. Plate II: COSSA, Francesco del, Announcing Angel and Virgin of the Announciation. Ø 250 mm. Tempera on board. [Ref. 07 and 08] Museum of Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Varese (Italy)

10 Above: 3D Surface data routed onto plaster. Photos by Alicia Guirao del Fresno. Plate III: ROBERTI, Ercole de, Saint Jerome, Saint George and Catherine of Alexandria. 263 x 93 mm. Tempera on board. [Ref. 14, 15 and 16] Collezione Vittorio Cini, Venice (Italy)

11 ADDITIONAL PANELS AND THEIR CURRENT LOCATION POLITTICO GRIFFONI FRANCESCO DEL COSSA AND ERCOLE DE ROBERTI

12 Plate IV: COSSA, Francesco del, Saint Florian. 790 x 550 mm Tempera on board. [Ref. 04] National Gallery of Art, Washington (USA)

13 Plate V: COSSA, Francesco del, Saint Lucia. 790 x 550 mm Tempera on board. [Ref. 05] National Gallery of Art, Washington (USA)

14 Plate VI: COSSA, Francesco del, Crucifixion. Ø 630 mm. Tempera on board. [Ref. 06] National Gallery of Art, Washington (USA)

15 Plate VII: COSSA, Francesco del, Saint Vincent Ferrer x 600 mm. Tempera on board. [Ref. 01] National Gallery, London (United Kingdom) - Permission approved: scanning taking place on Aug 2013

16 Saint Vincent Ferrer and Bologna Vincent Ferrer was born in Valencia in Aged eighteen, Vincent entered the Dominican Order. He completed his religious studies in Toulouse and Barcelona as well as Lérida, where he also earned his doctorate in theology. Vincent is widely known for his intense labour as a religious preacher across the Kingdom of Valencia and elsewhere in Europe, yet there is uncertainty among scholars when it comes to determining whether he effectively visited all the places he is claimed to have traveled in. A detailed account of a visit paid by the Saint to Bologna was recorded by Alessandro Machiavelli. According to this writer, Vincent would have visited Bologna in 1415, but no records have been found to support Machiavelli s statements, which cast a shadow of suspicion over this claim*. There is, however, a written record in the Register of the Dominican Convent in Bologna, dating from April 15th 1481, which mentions that on this day Brother Vincent of Bologna, who was restored to life through the merits and intercession of St. Vincent Ferrer, received the habit ; thus indicating an additional link that the Saint could have had with the city. Notes: * HOGAN, Op. cit. Bibliography: HOGAN, Stanislaus M., Saint Vincent Ferrer O. P. (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1911) PRADEL, Andrew, St. Vincent Ferrer, of the Order of Friar Preachers: His life, spiritual teaching, and practical devotion, translated by T. A. Dixon (London: R. Washbourne, 1875) Above: COSSA, Francesco del, Saint Vincent Ferrer (Detail)

17 Plate VIII: ROBERTI, Ercole de, Predella: Stories of Saint Vincent Ferrer x 217 mm Tempera on board. Vatican Gallery, Rome (Vatican City) - Permission for data recording obtained: scanning taking place in Sept-Oct 2013

18 Plate IX: ROBERTI, Ercole de, Saint Apollonia and Saint Michael Archangel. 260 x 110 mm. Tempera on board. [Ref. 11 and 12] Musée du Louvre, Paris (France) - Permission application in preparation

19 Plate X: ROBERTI, Ercole de, Saint Petronio. 260 x 130 mm. Tempera on board. [Ref. 10] Pinacoteca Nazionale, Ferrara (Italy) - Permission for data recording obtained: scanning taking place in Sept-Oct 2013

20 Plate XI: COSSA, Francesco del, Saint Peter x 550 mm Tempera on board. [Ref. 02] Pinacoteca di Brera, Milano (Italy) - Permission for data recording obtained: scanning taking place in Sept-Oct 2013

21 Plate XII: COSSA, Francesco del, Saint John the Baptist x 550 mm Tempera on board. [Ref. 03] Pinacoteca di Brera, Milano (Italy) - Permission for data recording obtained: scanning taking place in Sept-Oct 2013

22 Plate XIII: ROBERTI, Ercole de, Saint Anthony the Abbott. 260 x 110 mm. Tempera on board. [Ref. 13] Museum Boyman-Beuningen Rotterdam - Permission application in preparation